Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results

Establish Goals (MLR or CCSS): (G)
Maine Learning Results
Content Area: Social Studies
Standard: D. Geography
Standard: D1 Geographic Knowledge, concepts, themes, and patterns
Grade Level Span: 9-Diploma
Students understand the geography of the United States and various regions of the world and the effect of geographic influences on decisions about the present and future.

What understandings are desired?

Students will understand that: (U)
• geographic processes in local communities may have global impacts.
• the study of geography helps to better predict consequences of human interaction at the local, state, national, and global level.
• societal changes impact the physical and cultural environment.

What essential questions will be considered?

Essential Questions: (Q)
• How might geographic processes in the Sahara affect ocean communities in the Caribbean?
• How have humans contributed to the rise in CO2 levels over the past 5,000 years?
• Why do societal changes impact the physical and cultural environment?

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?


Students will know: (K)
Students will be able to: (S)
• Key Terms
tributaries, elevation, culture, society, climate, latitude, longitude, nations, bodies of water, mountain ranges, political map, physical map, CO2, flooding, pollution, o-zone.
• Key Concepts
Climate change, country/capital info, map interpretation, geographical evolution, rising sea-levels, environmental geography
• Key Events
Political border reformation, historical geography, social/cultural change, industrialization,
• describe environmental effects of societal changes
• illustrate political and physical world maps
• compare sea-levels of pre-industrial and post-industrial earth
• produce examples of what affects CO2 levels
• consider how refugees impact cultural changes in the environment they migrate to
• be aware of geographic processes and their effect on far-reaching communities

2004 ASCD and Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe.